No Major Bills Signed

Nothing much unexpected happened when Arnold put his pen to the hundreds of bills waiting on his desk over the weekend. He approved increased fees on motorists, vetoed the DREAM Act and marriage equality. It's not like the legislature sent him any major pieces of legislation, though the DREAM Act and the marriage bill would have made national news if he signed them. LAT:

The governor's last signatures before Sunday's midnight deadline provided an anticlimactic end to a rather fallow year for the executive and the Legislature, some political observers said.

"It was a not particularly productive year," said Raphael J. Sonenshein, a political scientist at Cal State Fullerton.

He noted that the Republican governor and the Legislature have failed so far to reach agreement on what the leaders agreed were the two most pressing matters: healthcare reform and a comprehensive plan to upgrade the state's over-stressed water system.

The governor has called a special session on both matters, but no consensus has been reached.

Generally speaking the first year of a legislative cycle has a better chance of being productive, since many will be running for re-election in the second. They will be especially distracted next year with the term limits proposal, which will determine who runs in the second primary in June.

They still have time to get health care passed and on the ballot. Negotiations are continuing.